The Fire Lives On
by norah18
Summary: Plagued by the same nightmare every night. The loss of her trust in her friends has caused her to grow stronger and mature more. But her love for her guild is stronger than ever. When Natsu realizes what he has lost will he be able to gain it back? Will her fire be extinguished when her nightmare becomes a reality?
1. Growth

_**I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. They belong to Hiro Mashima**_

 **Chapter 1: Growth**

 _Lights flickered. The ceiling crumbled. Time Stopped. Breaths echoed in the building falling apart all around her. A scream echoed throughout the crumbling structure. She whirled around to find its source. Eyes widening in anticipation for who or what she might see…_

Gasping she woke up, with her heart hammering in her chest.

"Just a dream. It was just a dream." She whispers, sitting up and leaning her forehead against her knees. "It was just a dream… Wasn't it?"

Holding her chest she moves her feet to dangle over the side of her bed. It all felt so real and it terrified her. So many unanswered questions went through her head. _How did I get there. What caused the devastation to the building she was in? Who was screaming? Who did I see? This was the 15th day in a row I have had this dream. Always waking up before actually seeing who the other person in the room was._ Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she jumps out of bed.

Grabbing clean clothes and walking into her bathroom she stretches her arms over her head. "Time to get my day started. Hopefully it will be better than the last few.", she whispers to herself, "Lets get started."

She starts brushing her hair while humming to herself then strips off her clothes and hops into the shower. The feel of the hot water running over her body wakes her up more and relaxes her muscles. She really needed this. Especially after her last solo job. Things haven't been easy lately but she has managed. Job after job after job is exhausting but she has finally done it. Reached her goal she has set for herself. She has a great saving built up and everything is paid for months ahead of time.

"Maybe I can stop and take a much needed break now.", she says softly.

She finishes washing herself and jumps out of the shower. Sighing she dries off and starts to get dressed stopping after putting on her underwear and bra. She takes a deep breath and grabs her blow dryer and starts it blowing it at her body mirror that is hanging on her door to get the humidity off of it without leaving water or smudge marks. Taking a deep breath she finally stops and looks at herself eyes widening. Its been a year since she has really looked at herself. She has a gash across her stomach, starting from her left side and stopping at her belly button. Her arms has small scars on them almost unnoticable unless you are really trying to see them. Her legs are scrapped up and covered in bruises.

"How did i not notice?", she asks looking at herself sadly. She sighs softly after starring a bit longer and gets up to bandage her stomach arms and legs and finishes getting dressed the rest of the way.

Looking into the mirror again she smiles, her blonde hair is still silky and full of volume, coming to about her mid back. Her face has a small scar cuttting through her eyebrow, she hated it at first but she has come to accept it, it helped her resolve. She smiles at her outfit, she had put on a nice white tank top that covered her stomach and put on a nice black leather jacket that cut off at her belly button, black skinny jeans and some nice brown boots that came up to her knees. Her scars were covered and she felt proud of how much she had matured.

Walking out of her bathroom and into her bedroom she sees just how much has changed. She had matured and grown so much. Sadly she had to do it all alone. But she had grown accustomed to the lonelyness and silence. It had helped her become stronger and learn to take better care of herself. Throwing her hair up into a pony tail she grabs her keys and walks tot he door. Stepping outside and smiling.

"You've got this Lucy!", she said encouraging herself


	2. Revelations

_**I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. They belong to Hiro Mashima**_

 **Chapter 2: Revelations**

Walking down the path that led her to the guild she hummed to herself.

"I wonder how everyone is doing."

I'd been on a mission for about a month before arriving home last night. It was a mission to track down a beast and slay it. It wasn't supposed to be as hard as it was. Just a simple track and defeat. No one counted on it being protected by a dark guild. The wound on her stomach stung just thinking about it.

Shaking her head she sighed as she arrived at the guild doors. Gently she pushed them open and stepped inside. No one looked up but Mira, who smiled at her and ushered her to come join her at the bar. Smiling Lucy made her way over there.

"Hi Mira. How have you been?", she asked smiling still.

"I have been great! We were updated on how the mission went. You weren't hurt were you? The mission was updated to S Class as soon as we found out", Mira said scanning her over to asses any damage.

"I am fine Mira. A gash across my stomach but other wise I am fine. It is healing nicely." Lucy assured her.

Mira's gaze stayed on her and she sighed, "Ok but you must stay out of harms way for a few more days so sit back and relax.", she said with a stern tone.

"I will Mira. I promise." Lucy sighed smiling softly. She loved that Mira cared so much for her,

Just as the guild started to feel peaceful a loud bang was hear throughout the building. "WE ARE HOME!" Natsu bellowed as he, Gray, Erza, Happy, Wendy, Carla, and Lisanna came inside, returning from a small mission they took. Lucy sighed smiling no more peaceful chatter. She looked them over from her spot at the bar. None of them seemed to be injured which was great. They may not be talking to her or spending any time with her but she was always happy when they came back perfectly fine. Taking one last glance towards them she turned back around in her stool to relax, thinking to herself. It's been over a year since I have gone on any missions with them. I have no idea if they have even noticed. But they seem happy at least. That's all that matters right?

Resting her head on the counter she continued to relax. CRASH!

Sitting up she looked around and saw a brawl starting up.

Looking away she muttered. "I should have seen that coming. So much for relaxing." Just as she finished muttering that someone crashed into her stool from behind and knocked her to the ground, the person on top of her.

"Oh sorry. That ice bastard threw me!" he said sitting up, "Not funny Ice Princess!" He yelled at the laughing ice mange. Growling at the ice mange he looked down only to become shocked at the brown honey eyes staring up at him in also in shock.

"Natsu." She whispered. It had been so long since she had been this close to him. He had really matured and became even more handsome since the last time.

Natsu continued staring at her in shock. It was Lucy for sure. She was beautiful, how had she changed so much, it hadn't been that long since he had seen her, just a few months. Maybe it had been longer. His eyes traced her face, from her chin, to her pink lips, up to her nose and back to her eyes, finally they landed on her eyebrows about to pass over them until they stopped on her scar that cut through her eyebrow.

"Natsu" he heard her whisper.

"Lucy" he whispered back. "What happened to your…"

"Ouch!" she yelled pushing him off of her and trying to stand. He sat on the ground in shock. The middle of her shirt turned red.

"Lucy!" Mira yelled grabbing her to support her and taking her upstairs.

Natsu sat on the ground in shock still. She was hurt. When did that happen? Why wasn't I there when it happened? He looked at them as Mira got her to the stairs calling for Wendy who hurried to her side and helped take Lucy to the infirmary.


	3. Sorry

**Chapter 3: Sorry**

"What just happened?" a voice next to him spoke. Looking to his left were Erza, Gray, Happy, and Lisanna. They all looked confused.

"How did she get hurt? And when did she get hurt?" Erza asked.

"I have no idea. But it seemed to be pretty new." Gray said lost in thought.

"Guys." Lisanna said gently, "When was the last time we went on a mission or even spoke to her?" Everyone froze.

"It couldn't have been that long. Maybe a month or two." Happy said shaking his head. "It's been over a year.", A soft voice behind them spoke. Eyes widening they turned to see Mira looking at them sadly.

"No way! We wouldn't leave her for a year!" Gray shouted. "But we did Gray." Erza said looking at him sadly.

Up the stairs in the infirmary Wendy was healing Lucy's wound. "How did you get this Lucy?" She asked.

Looking into her eyes she could see how serious Wendy was when she asked this. Soflty she sighed as she relented and told her.

"I was on a mission to track down and slay a beast. Towards the end of my mission it ended up being upgraded to S Class and I wasn't prepared. The beast we being protected by a dark guild. I had to fight all of them to get to the beast and slay it." She said still looking into Wendy's now shocked eyes.

"Why didn't anyone go with you?" She said though her shock.

"I am a solo wizard now Wendy. I have been for over a year." Lucy said softly. Just as she finished the door opened to reveal Mira and the rest of team Natsu.

Mira ran to Lucy. "Are you ok? Is your wound healed?", she asked concerned.

"Yeah it is Mira. All thanks to Wendy." Lucy said shooting a thankful smile to the younger girl, who accepted it with a grin of her own.

"Lucy we are so sorry." Gray said looking at her.

"We had no right to abandon you like that." Erza said looking down.

"It really wasn't intentional.", Lisanna said looking ashamed.

Happy flung himself into her chest spewing apologies. "It's ok you guys I forgave you all a long time ago." Lucy said with a gental smile., "I really need some rest now. But i will talk to you guys another time. "

They all looked at her sadly, but got up and started walking toward the door. Natsu staying behind in the room for a moment longer than the rest stopped to look at her. She looked content. At peace even. It hurt to know he had hurt her and she had healed before he could even begin to apologize for being an idiot.

"Lucy I need to hear it from you." He said gaining her attention.

"What do you need to hear Natsu? What do you need me to answer" She said smiling at him.

He looked into her honey brown eyes and sighed. "How long have we been idiots for? How long have you been a solo mage? How much have you gone through?" He asked his voice barely above a whisper.

She was surprised to hear him asking these questions. He was very serious and looked distraught even. It wasn't like him to be this serious, outside of battle that is. He must be the one hurting now. She had found her peace and now he needed his. She could give him this. He along with the rest of them broke her trust. But she didn't hate them or hold a grudge against them. She couldn't trust them. Or him, that's what still hurts. She still… Sighing softly she gave him her attention again.

"It has been a year and 9 months since you had a conversation with me. 14 months since I became a solo mage. As for what I have gone through. It hasn't been very bed. Not good but not bad. At first it was really hard. I cried a lot but stuck to it. It wasn't till my 8th mission that I got these." She said gesturing to the scar cutting through her eyebrow, and pulling her jacket to the side to show her left shoulder with a scar on it she hadn't bothered to look at earlier.

"The scar cutting through my eyebrow was from a dark mage who used any part of his body and shoot it at you. I was still new and my training with Loki hadn't gotten as far yet. The scar on my shoulder came from another dark mage in the same guild. He could manipulate my body every time I talked and I earned this by not catching on fast enough. He froze me and stabbed my shoulder with a sword." She said looking at him.

He grits his teeth and meets her eyes. "Why didn't I notice? Did you try to get my attention?"

"I tried really hard Natsu. I would ask you to go on missions and you would brush me off. First it was just you were trying to catch up and i respect that. I really do. But after half a year I thought that maybe you would have caught up enough to allow me to talk with you guys again and be in the team again. I spent every night sobbing and feeling sad for myself. After 9 months I was injured on that mission and it was enough to make me realize, I needed to take care of myself and stop feeling sorry for myself. It helped me understand I could be. No. Would be fine on my own and I couldn't rely on others to take care of me. I left the scars there to remind me of everything" She said with a voice so mature and stronger than he had ever heard from her before. With wide eyes he continued to look at her. Words weren't coming to him, there was nothing he could say. Stepping back from her he looked at her for real. She had grown and matured and she did it all without him. He looked at the ground not knowing what to do. Softly he heard her sigh again, then suddenly someone was hugging him causing him to look up in shock, his nose becoming buried in blonde hair that smelled like strawberry and vanilla.

"I will always care for you Natsu, I loved you for so long. But you broke my trust. I had to grow without you all alone. I can't trust you or anyone on your team. But you guys will always hold a place in my heart.. Maybe one of these days we can all hang out." she said holding him closely. He was shaking and holding her to him tightly. His mind was racing.

 _She loved me. She really loved me._ He couldn't believe what he heard her say. His heart was racing. But his shoulders dropped again and he held her tighter. _She doesn't trust me or any of us. She doesn't even sound like we can truly gain her trust back and be a team again._ He began to shake and tighten his hold on her again. _Maybe we can, she said we can hang out with her again soon. I need to spend more time with her. And one day she will trust me again._


End file.
